


To Walk A Thread of Time

by CordeNarcissus



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Akechi Goro Redemption, Akechi Goro and Sakura Futaba Are Half-Siblings, Akechi Goro is life, Akechi Goro is love, Akechi is a cinnamon roll that bites back, Akira is female because why not?, Because it’s Goro, Because who wouldn’t?, But he won’t because this is a redemption fic, Detective Akechi Goro, Do I have to say it again?, Doesn’t mean he won’t contemplate murder, F/F, F/M, Fem!Akira, Female Akira, Female Akira Kurusu, Female Persona 5 Protagonist, Female Protagonist, How Do I Tag, How many female Akira tags can I add?, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Like that's the fanfic, Meaning he’s not afraid to kill, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Abuse, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, What-If, Yes I am doing that, i don't want to know, no beta we die like men, what did you expect?, why am i like this?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-25 17:40:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22499944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CordeNarcissus/pseuds/CordeNarcissus
Summary: Akira was not expecting to awaken to a new persona in her dreams after being mentally and physically drained for weeks on end. Granted she had hoped that she could fix things after she realized she couldn’t really go on without Goro by her side.She doesn’t know why she’s so in love with her would-be murderer, but she is. She has no idea how that happened but it did. Now she had somehow sent her and Goro back in time.Goro was the only genuinely useful one of the two anyway. He could still use his personas and enter the Metaverse.Now Goro has to deal with saving the world alone for the time being, as he faces his own rehabilitation, he just hoped that through all the drama he could keep the last ounce of his sanity…And he could keep himself alive for Akira's sake as well.Both of them know one thing, that dying is like a thread being snapped and being brought back is like the snapped thread being carefully intertwined again. They only have a certain number of chances to make it right.
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro & Isshiki Wakaba, Akechi Goro & Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro & Niijima Sae, Akechi Goro & Persona 5 Protagonist, Akechi Goro & Shido Masayoshi, Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 32
Kudos: 66





	1. Prologue: Mirai

**Author's Note:**

> I want to try to write as many words as I can per chapter! It's my goal! I hope you'll enjoy this!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira struggles to continue forward and then she is given the chance to go back in time to fix it all, of course she would take it. Especially if it involved a certain Detective Prince. (Reposted with way more words then before)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a repost of my original chapter it is a lot longer then the first.

A wound comes in many forms, this one particular wound cut her so deeply she couldn’t breathe. No she couldn’t breathe even before it happened. It was when he aimed his gun at her, that was when her breath caught in her throat. 

She could barely hear what he was saying, then one moment he was there and the next he was shooting at a button on the wall, then she watched as the wall covered up her view of him and she felt her feet buckle beneath her. 

  
“Promise me you’ll steal Shido’s heart in my stead!” Crow had said across the wall.   
  


The words flowed out on instinct but it didn’t make them sound any less broken. “I promise.” 

She could feel the tears start to burn her eyes, not yet flowing. A mantra of _don’t die, don’t die, DON’T DIE._ Repeats over and over in her mind until she can feel herself break just a bit..

“Isn’t there any way to open this, Mona?” Panther asked desperately. Then just as Mona was going to answer gunshots were heard. 

They rang in her ears, and for a moment she swore her heart even stopped beating. The ringing didn’t go away. 

“Joker!” She came back to herself minutes later, Panther shook her and she latched onto her friend who blushed and was a tad flustered as she hugged her back. She just held her as Joker’s eyes watered and tears began their fall, hot wet tears streaming down her cheeks as she sobbed into Panther’s hair. 

The ringing wouldn’t stop. 

“Why are you crying so much over this?” Skull asks though she can tell he doesn’t mean it to come off in a mean way. “I-I…” she can’t really explain, tears in her voice, and tears in her eyes. 

“Let’s go,” Mona says sternly. Panther helps her stand up onto her feet and Joker stumbles a few steps before catching herself. She looks around blurily and all she can think is she needs to be away, away from where he took his last breath. One step and then another until she’s racing through the palace her friends struggling to keep up. 

Each shadow she passes she slashes through without looking back, without stopping.

“Joker!” She hears them yell but she can’t stop as tears begin to flow down her cheeks again. She then comes face to face with the treasure room. She turns to face her companions again, quickly turning on her heels to face them. 

“We’ll steal Shido’s treasure tomorrow, we will meet at our hideout and begin our final mission. We are going to do this!” She says with certainty, though her heart was in pieces she knew, deep down she had a promise she had to keep. It would never bring him back...but at least she could do this. 

She looks at her companions with conviction, slowly they each nod. First Panther, then Mona, Fox, Queen, Noir, Skull, then lastly Oracle. 

“Rest up tonight, we need to be at our best tomorrow, we’ll finish what we started. Oracle, you have it ready right?” Akira asks. 

Oracle grins, “Of course.”   
  


Joker then nods leading her companions out of the distorted politicians palace. 

* * *

She stumbled outside of the palace, she looked back to her teammates and waved goodbye quickly before taking off without a word. The only thing in her arms is her bag which holds Morgana. She lets out a sigh as she boards the train and goes on her way to Yongen-Jaya, once she reaches the station she walks to Leblanc and enters the restaurant the only thing to sound her arrival is the bell on the door. 

“Akira, you’re home a little late.” Sojiro comments without looking up from the coffee mugs he is washing. He looks up when she doesn’t answer and gives her a concerned look, “Akira-–” 

She sets her bag down on a chair and wraps her arms around her father figure and sobs into his shoulder. 

“What’s this about?” Sojiro asks as he wraps his own arms around her to complete their hug. 

“Akechi-kun, he-–he,” she couldn’t get the words out. 

“Come on, sit down and have a cup of coffee. You can tell me all about it.” Sojiro says comfortingly as he helps her sit down on a stool and then makes her favorite blend. Arabica Bourbon coffee, lightly roasted, with cream and caramel. 

Morgana sits onto her lap and allows her to pet his ears. “It’s going to be okay, Akira.” Morgana says looking up at her. “We’ll get through this together.” 

Akira smiles down at Morgana and pets his ears, Morgana purrs softly at her touch. 

Sojiro sets down her favorite mug with her favorite coffee, the mug making a soft clank as it’s set onto the counter in front of her. 

“Now tell me the story from the beginning,” Sojiro states as he sits next to her with his own coffee in hand. 

Akira begins to speak, lead in her throat. She tells Sojiro all about the palace, telling from the beginning so he understands how Akechi’s death came to be. It easily gets easier especially as she explains the encounters with Shido’s allies and how they got letters of recommendation. How they turned into mice throughout different places in the palace. 

When she arrived to where they had gotten their last letter and had begun to exit until they were stopped by Akechi. Then each word gets heavier and heavier and Sojiro even has to make her another cup to help calm her nerves. Each word gets harder and harder especially when she speaks about his sacrifice, by then she is in tears. Each word a jumbled mess as she explains how they left the palace. 

Sojiro holds her tightly as she cries, heavy sobs wracking her body. After a couple of minutes Sojiro nudges her softly.   
  


“Time to get you to bed, you have a big day tomorrow.” He states as he helps her up the stairs and puts her pajamas onto her bed. “Goodnight, girly.” 

She hears him retreat down the stairs and out the door. Morgana pads up the stairs behind him. 

“Time to get some rest, like I said earlier it’s going to be okay.” Morgana states as he curls up on her bed. 

That night she restlessly squirmed in her bed with thoughts of Akechi in her mind. 

* * *

“Get up! Get up! Get up!” Morgana yells into her ear. She sits up in a panic and the poor black not-cat goes flying. 

“Geez, Mona!” She says as she stretches and lets out a yawn. She stops moving as she remembers yesterday, she then forces the thoughts away as quickly as she can as she dresses into a gray hoodie over a sports bra and light blue jeans. She runs a hand through her disheveled bed head and decides she won’t style it today. 

She slips on a pair of gray sneakers before she heads downstairs, greeting Sojiro who is already at work and sits down in a booth playing with her phone. Morgana sits next to her and watches her screen. She unconsciously checks Akechi’s contact and freezes.   
  
Before she can do anything though, two of her fellow thieves are piling into the restaurant. Bell tingles happily, and she hears them laughing and joking like **he** never died. 

“And then this girl just got a fish stuck on her head, it was the funniest thing ever. I’ll send the video to you later.” Ryuji explains well nudging Ann’s side. 

“Yeah that’d be great! Also I was already thinking we should go to crepes to celebrate when the mission is over, I know it isn’t as great as our last ones. We can throw a party at Leblanc after if it’s alright with Boss.” Ann says in response. 

“Yeah, you kids have fun.” Sojiro says with a smile to Ann as he gets their drinks ready. 

The bell sings happily once more two more thieves arrive. 

“Inari, I told you that you couldn’t mess with my Phoenix Feather Ranger action figures if you were to stay over!” Futaba yells at Yusuke. “You’ll be lucky if I let you stay over again!” 

“I’m sorry, Futaba-chan. I couldn’t help myself.” Yusuke responds. 

  
Futaba and Ann begin to chat well Ryuji and Yusuke just watch to the side and give concerned glances to Akira every other second. 

Haru stands off to the side as she speaks on the phone, “ Yes I’ll be taking the day off, thank you so much.” 

“It seems everyone is here, I’ll quickly run over what we are going to do for the calling card. After that everything in the palace is up to our own skills.” Makoto states with a smile as she sits down next to Akira. 

“Aye! Watch it! You almost sat on my tail!” Morgana yells as he jumps onto Akira’s lap. 

“Sorry!” Makoto apologizes as she moves closer to the edge of the booth. 

Akira looks up at her team, she smiles though it doesn’t reach her eyes. Her mind drowns out Makoto’s explanation as if she was underwater, she hears them but not quite.   
  


“Let’s get going!” Akira says as she stands up.   
  


“But we aren’t finished!” Makoto says but Akira has already left the cafe with Morgana in her arms. 

“Hey! Hey! Akira!” Morgana shouts to get her attention. She looks down at the not-cat with a frown. “Are you okay?” Morgana asks. 

“What a silly question. Of course I am okay,” Akira replies and she smiles down at her companion. 

Morgana just looks at her with doubt. 

“We’ll talk about it later. Let’s get to Central Street.” Morgana states as he hops into her bag. 

“Yeah, let’s.” 

* * *

The group watched as they appeared all over the screens on Central Street. As Futaba worked her magic, every second that passed was filled with anticipation for the thieves. Akira especially, she was ready to make Shido confess to all of his atrocious acts. Especially for what he did to Akechi..

“I demand you turn yourselves in and apologize to the people of this proud nation,” Shido says at the end of his emergency press conference. 

“We aren’t apologising for shit,” Ryuji says under his breath and gets a good jab into his side by Ann. 

“We might as well put a shirt on you that says number one dumbass, or better yet number one Phatom Thief. Considering you advertise it all the time,” Ann hisses to him. 

“You think I’m the number one Phantom Thief?” Ryuji asks and receives a fierce punch into his side in response. 

Ryuji shouts in pain and steps back, “What did you do that for?!” 

“Could you be anymore oblivious!” Ann yells, “Don’t go saying things like that!” 

Makoto sighs and rests her face into her palm, “What are we going to do with them.” 

“Mako-chan, it would be best if we get moving. Futaba-chan had just stated she is on her way to the Diet Building now.” Haru says calmly as she slips her phone into her pocket, she was focusing on the matter at hand, at the very least. 

“Yes, it is best we get rid of this horrible villain quickly,” Yusuke replies with a soft flip of his bangs. 

“Let’s get going,” Makoto says with a nod towards Haru. “Akira, lead the way.” She says this with a smile as she nudges her along. 

Akira gives a smile back though it doesn’t reach her eyes. Though she leads the way all that fills her ears is a light constant ringing that hasn’t disappeared since yesterday. 

With Akira leading the way they head to the Diet Building, moving on foot. They run to the tall building and stand there and watch in shock at all of Shido’s supporters. 

“They still support this asshole,” Ryuji says with a grit of his teeth. 

“You can’t expect people to change, they saw him as our next leader after all..” Ann says sympathetically. 

“It’s still not right!” Ryuji says as he kicks his foot out. 

“We’ll change their minds,” Akira speaks up and all of them look towards her in surprise, seeing as she has been unusually quiet. 

“Yes, that’s right!” Ann says. 

“We won’t let them down!” Ryuji adds. 

Akira can’t help but add the same thing she said at the end of the video and feels a familiar cocky smirk grace her lips. “We shall take this country.” 

* * *

Entering the palace was the easiest part of her day, her familiar Joker regalia coming forth as soon as they entered the palace. The only place now she felt like herself, as before she was always someone different with every new person, though it wasn’t the same with Akechi...

Rushing up and into the golden elevator, only to enter into a gawdy room. She feels a sneer play onto her lips. 

“Shido!” Skull yells at the top of his lungs. 

Shido turns to them with a look of curiosity, “Where exactly had you bugs obtained that power?” He chuckles, “Not like it matters, now if you have a complaint, I am willing to listen.” 

“What did you do to Akechi! He was y-your own son!?” Fox yells in question desperately. 

“Huh, I had a feeling he was something like that. He reminded me too much of that woman. If only she was still alive..she’d be better then my playthings now….Though we are talking about Akechi. I have a guess as to why he approached me. He wanted to ruin my life, correct? He should have known better, I planned to dispose of him once I reached the top anyway. 

“He is also a murderer, so thus I would have to get rid of him either way, I need to play favor of the public after all.” Shido says pacing through the room all the while, then he chuckles. “He was just a kid, easy to manipulate to my will, just a little bit of praise and he was puddy in my hands. It went perfectly, practically like a **god** had sent him to me.

“Quite the “ace” detective, couldn’t even see through my own plans, foulish, naive, the spitting image of his mother. Easy to get rid of, no one would have noticed if he had suddenly gone missing.” Shido finishes facing them. 

“How could you do that to him!?” Akira finds herself yelling in anguish. “You were just going to do that to him!?”

“It was unfortunate he decided to come to me even after I gave him plenty warning not to. Didn’t you ever find it strange? His mother died and he had no family to turn to. I had simply kept him in the foster care system, it was fairly easy, and considering that many families are known to abuse the children they take in. I had hoped that he would have lost his strength to challenge me.” Shido says this and instantly it gets a reaction from the rest. 

“You’re disgusting! There is no beauty in you at all!” Fox yells as he glares at the man. 

“You hurt him, and killed my father! I won’t forgive you ever!” Noir yells. 

“You killed my mother, stole her research and hurt so many people! We are going to beat you!” Oracle yells at the top of her lungs. 

Akira glares at the man, “I will fight you alone if I have to, I will make you repent for your crimes! For Akechi’s death! For everything you have done!” She screams this and it echoes throughout the room. 

“Very well then, come at me!” Shido yells, “If you truly wish to fight, you are all ignorant fools. My modern day Noah's Arc will be the only solution for these pitiful masses, I will lead Japan to it’s victory where it shall rule over the rest of this world. We are the only nation that can bring prosperity to the world, and I am the only person that can rule it!” A crowd stands tall and claps momentarily; the thieves focus solely on them, though Akira is not fooled and just glares as Shido turns into his battle mode.

Then he is riding a golden lion? 

* * *

After a long tiring battle they stood in front of a defeated Shido. With the ship wheel styled treasure before them.

A distressed Shido begins to cry out, “I must– steer this country! If I d-don’t who will!?” 

Akira then speaks up desperately, “Why did you do that to Akechi?! He was your own son..why did you abandon him?!” 

“When he was little..I had become desperate to achieve my goals..a child would only get in the way..and with the death of his mother I knew..he would come after me,” Shido explains. “I needed him out of my way then, and before then...that woman needed to be out of the picture.” 

_Who could say that about their own kid? That they were in the way…_

Akira saw red and before she even realized what she was doing she raised her gun to Shido’s level and looked at him from over her gun, she set her finger onto the trigger and prepared to fire.

_“Will you change Shido’s heart for me?”_ Akechi’s voice echoes in her mind. She slips backwards in surprise hitting the trigger and…

  
Shido collapses into black smoke, right where her bullet was a moment before. 

Sudden panic fills her figure and she stares down at blood red gloves, she stands on shaky legs as she can’t seem to think and just stands in horror as the palace begins to collapse around her..

Panther then pulls her along and they run through the palace, eventually reaching the exit and Skull nods to them and begins to run towards the boat. He then jumps and rushes up and pulls down to release the boat. Panther helps her in and then they begin to float out of the palace. But not before they all watch in horror as Skull’s form is covered by an explosion. 

* * *

“Ryuji!” Ann yells in a panic as she looks around for their companion. 

“He didn’t make it out,” Makoto says as she begins to shake a bit. 

“No he had to have!” Futaba shouts in denial to Makoto. 

“There has to be some way he made it out. Right?” Ann asks desperately. 

The rest of them just look down quietly and they all grit their teeth, Futaba and Ann begin to cry well Makoto, Haru and Yusuke look like they are about to. 

“Man, that hurt!” They hear a familiar voice say. Ryuji pops out from the bushes. 

“Ryuji! We thought you died!” Futaba yells. 

“I..what?!” Ryuji asked in surprise, Ann and Makoto huff before they both begin to beat some sense into the poor teenager. 

Once all the violence is over, Makoto brushes off her clothes. “How about we get something to eat.” 

“Ah, yes. Food sounds delicious.” Yusuke agrees. 

With hums of approval they all go out to eat, no one though seems to realize that Akira is lagging behind. She was feeling a bit numb and even food was no help, though two pairs of watchful blue eyes had noticed this. 

Once they are done eating, she carries Morgana back to Leblanc with Futaba by her side and the sight of the place snaps her out of wherever her mind had been. She shakes in horror and they both frantically check the place.   
  


“If you don’t come out now I am going to be very mad, Sojiro!” Futaba says with tears in her voice and then he walks through the door. 

“Man, they really did a number on this place,” he says nonchalantly as he scratches the back of his neck. 

“You did a Ryuji!” Futaba yells. 

“A what?” Sojiro asks. “Anyway, I was being held captive at Shido’s, I am guessing he had a change of heart?” 

“Yeah…” Akira says very quietly. “I think..I’m going to bed, it has been a long day. Goodnight Sojiro, Futaba..” She slowly heads up the stairs after she turns her blank gaze to the stairs. 

“Akira..” Morgana says softly. “It’s going to be okay.” 

“Yeah,” she responds but all she can think about is that she..

Killed someone. 

* * *

The next day she can barely bring herself to move, much less get out of bed. She turns on her television and tries to keep her mind off of Shido, off of Akechi, but no matter what she does it always wanders back. 

She looks down at her hands and each time all she sees is red and she begins to shake. She just can’t believe it. 

She killed someone. 

It filled up her mind and her very soul. It filled up her very being as she hugged her knees to her chest, and if she thought on it too long the last thing she ate would come rushing out of her throat. 

She knows because she has thought of it for too long before, throughout the day that seems to last longer than just hours.

Morgana tries to get her out of bed, but it is a futile effort. She does not want to leave and soon even Morgana gives up trying after a good hour. 

Though she doesn’t seem to notice as her only comfort becomes her blanket, she eventually goes downstairs and grabs every ounce of junk food she can find, practically eating her life away as she only focuses on eating and watching television. 

A heaviness fills her chest and makes her feel as if she is being weighed down though she tries to ignore it too, she hopes that everything will just go away, all these awful feelings. The memories of Akechi, the memories of pulling the trigger at Shido. 

By afternoon every breath is labored and then she hears Shido speak and relief fills her body and then..anger. 

_He could actually be worthy of leading this country_. She thinks bitterly as she sees a timid, kinder man on screen then she knows. 

It makes her lose any semblance of a meal she had today,..

* * *

The next day is no easier. She won’t leave Leblanc, she just lays in bed eating junk food, watching tv shows, reading manga. Everything she can think of to keep her mind off Akechi, today it was raining outside and she watched as water fell onto the window by her bed, she frowned at it and the sound reminded her of a memory she shared with Akechi.

———————————————

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—————--

———-

——

-

She stood on the other side of the counter. Akechi sitting across from her, she wore a soft smile as she looked up at the detective. She finished making him a cup of coffee, her favorite. 

“You wouldn’t mind being my guinea pig would you?” She asks lightly. 

Akechi looks at her in surprise, “Well as long as it isn’t poisoned I will give it a try.” He pauses for a moment as he looks down at the cup.

“It isn’t poisoned right?” He asks with a glance towards her. 

“No, no, I promise!” Akira says with a smile. 

Akechi rolls his eyes, “If you say so, Kurusu-chan.” 

Then he carefully raises the mug to his lips and takes a sip, his eyes widen softly. 

“It’s good right?” Akira asks in slight concern. 

“I think this is your best brew so far, it’s very sweet. I quite enjoy sweets.” Akechi states with a smile that reaches his eyes. 

“Thank you, also you should smile more often! It looks wonderful on you,” she compliments. 

“Kurusu-chan!” Akechi exclaims with a blush rushing towards his cheeks. “Your compliments are as dazzling as yourself, Kurusu-chan.” Akechi states after he regains his composure a bit, but you could still see the faint dust of a blush on his cheeks. 

“Perhaps, we can go out for crepes, when it isn’t raining.” Akechi offers with a soft smile. 

“Perhaps,” she smiles softly back at him as she leans back against the counter. 

She never did go out with him…

-

——

———-

—————--

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———————————————

Memories are similar to bamboo in a way, able to bend and shift without snapping. Though sometimes they shift so much you’re not even sure if they even happened, especially after someone had died, you can imagine conversations you never had, things that never happened. 

This happened at times when she thought of Akechi, sometimes the memories weren’t quite the same as they were the day before, she felt it in her heart and it tore her apart even more. Her third day lying in bed was the twentieth of December. The heavy weight on her chest that slowly pushed down more, sometimes she was unsure if she could even breath. Even when she was breathing. She felt trapped and alone, sometimes she wondered if this was god’s way of hating her. 

Morgana has long since stopped trying to get through to her. He went to stay with Futaba for the last few days. Sojiro too, even though he leaves food for her on her bed as she stares off into the distance. 

The more days that go by the more she goes from binging to purging food. Sometimes Sojiro sits by her to get her to eat even if just a few bites of the curry as she just continues to look out the window. 

The more her mind reminds her that Akechi was dead, the harder it was for her to think of everything but him, his charming smile as her memories begin to shift. 

Her only company during these days has been the ringing in her ears and the memories she holds closer and closer with every passing day. 

And she spends moments sleeping only to wake up screaming and crying with Akechi’s name on her lips, as she remembers him dying over and over and thinks of a billion ways to **save** him. 

Perhaps if she would have moved faster she could have rushed under the door to protect him in his wounded state. Perhaps if she would have tried to be more insistent about getting through to the obviously hurting boy. 

She can remember many moments they shared, over coffee as they chatted about their biggest argument – the Phantom Thieves. Though at times she could get him to talk about himself but it was everything but light..

———————————————

——————————-

—————--

———-

——

-

“I really don’t approve of the Phantom Thieves' own justice, though what do you think of it, Kurusu-chan?” Akechi asks after one of their longer drawn out arguments, you could practically see the sweat down his neck and the strain on his composure. 

“Well, I believe they are on the side of the people, like any good old gentleman thief. Now, we could keep arguing for hours or you could tell me more about yourself, Akechi-kun.” She said sticking out her tongue at the end at him playfully then she took a long sip of her coffee. She knows by now how to get him to talk about something other than the Phantom Thieves, if he thought he could get her to slip up – well he was sorely mistaken. 

“What would you like to know, Kurusu-chan?” Akechi asks as he looks down at his mug with a contemplative look, his eyebrows drawn together. 

“Whatever you feel like talking about, you told me about your mother. So how was your life after her death?” She holds her breath knowing how bad it gets, she had temporarily been an orphan when her father hadn’t wished for her to be around. He wasn’t ‘ready for kids.’ But that was a story for another time. 

“Well, my first home was alright, a woman that had truly cared for me. It slowly got worse over the years, for whatever reason. It never got better. The homes went from starving me for misbehavior to abuse, to just simple mistreatment for no reason. My last home especially, my last foster parents had needed a proper successor one that could continue their line, they pushed me to know the ins-and-outs of their business.

“The mistreatment had continued for the two years I had spent with them. They continued to mistreat me until I accepted whatever they gave me, though I did one act of rebellion I don’t regret, that was signing to a school that they didn’t approve of. The woman had abused me for my misbehavior, I still have the scars she gave me from her nails ripping through my skin. The infection that she caused as she had dirt under her nails, had led me to be hospitalized as I got a high fever.

“I’m sorry for rambling on about it, it probably isn’t what you wanted to hear.” Akechi says with a bitter smile as he takes a sip of his coffee. 

“No, it was an interesting story. Can I see your cuts?” She asks curiously. 

“Are you doubting me?” He says almost aggressively. 

She throws her arms up in defense. “No, Akechi-kun. I just wanted to see your wounds.” She says this with a thoughtful smile as she walks to the other side of the counter and touches his arm. 

He flinches away slightly at contact and then he carefully watches her reaction as he rolls up his sleeve. 

She looks in horror as he reveals a scar going from the top of his hand all the way up his elbow and even past that. “Akechi-kun, this is..” 

“It’s just my reminder that not all adults are as they seem…they don’t hesitate to take from those younger than them in order to achieve their goals.” He says absentmindedly as he strokes his arm. 

“Don’t mind it, Kurusu-chan. They can’t harm me anymore..” 

Only now does she realize..he killed them…

-

——

———-

—————--

——————————-

———————————————

Another day came and went and she finally managed to get herself out of bed for the first time in days standing on shaky legs. 

She decided to go to see Iwai to upgrade her gun before they go into Mementos. She made a promise to Morgana, she was going to keep it. 

She put on jeans and that familiar sweatshirt she has been wearing the last few weeks. Then she exits Leblanc with a goodbye to Sojiro, who gives her a mix between a relieved and worried look. 

She walks to the train station and hops onto the first train to Shibuya Central. She walks to the back alley passing the twins and walks to Untouchable. She enters quietly and lets her hood fall back. She walks over to the counter and faces Iwai. 

“You look like shit, kid.” He states as he looks at her. Well of course she has barely slept for days and has been either eating too much or nothing at all. 

“Thanks, I’m here to model my gun.” She pulls said gun out of her pocket and then drops it.

Her breathing begins to become frantic as her mind fills with full blown panic. She then begins to cry heaving sobs as she continues to struggle to breathe. Her eyesight begins to fill with black spots and then..

“Akira-chan, Akira-chan, listen to me kid!” Iwai’s voice gets her out of her trance as she looks up to him. “Why don’t you just go home today, I won’t ask you what is going on..though I think you developed hoplophobia, if your reaction is anything to go by.” 

A fear of guns? She couldn’t be afraid of her own gun right? Much less a model gun…

But looking back at it causes her to begin panicking again and Iwai forces her head into the other direction with a slap to get her to come back to her senses. 

“I’m not good with this stuff...jeez kid.” He states as he scratches the back of his head. “Now head home.” 

She scrambles back to her feet and without looking back or even at the gun she grabs up from the ground and puts into her pocket, she walks out of the airsoft shop. She can barely focus on her surroundings at the shaking reality that she is afraid of guns. 

Once she arrives at the attic she calls home she takes off her sweatshirt and throws it to the wall and the gun makes a clunk noise when it hits the wall. She collapses onto her bed and cries into her pillow. 

* * *

Another two days she spends in her attic until the twenty-fourth the day she had told Morgana she would help him reach the depths of Mementos. So she calls a meeting and when her friends enter they all stare at her with wide concerned eyes. 

Ann is the first to speak, “If you don’t want to do this we understand..” 

“Why would you think I can’t go?” She asks numbly, no emotion in her voice. After all this was supposed to be her, the person that is shaped by the will of others..what a trickster she has turned out to be..

“You can’t possibly go in your condition!” Makoto protests. 

She chuckles bitterly and smiles much the same. “Let’s just finish our mission, it’s an order from me. I am your leader.” She gives a piercing glance to her teammates who all look away timidly. 

“Of course leader,” they all seem to say in unison. 

“Let’s go,” she states as she stands up and they head to the station and intto Mementos. 

Once they enter her familiar Joker regalia falls onto her form and she clenches her gloved hands tightly. She stares at the gates of Mementos and then they head downwards.

She is ruthless as she cuts through shadows in single blows, she relies very little on her comrades and when they look tired she heals them herself.   
  


“Slow down, Joker!” Panther protests. 

Joker gives a soft look to her behind her mask, “Sorry, we have to move quickly though, we don’t know when the Reaper will appear.” 

After that they were all mainly quiet, as they rushed down to the final platform. 

They came face to face with a large gate. Her teammates looked around in awe. 

“This was under Mementos?” Skull asks in awe. 

“This has such a grotesque appearance, perfect muse for an art piece, it’s too bad I left my sketchbook at home.” Fox states. 

“How do we get past?” Panther asks. 

“Well, I did some scanning on the door and we will be able to go in but not back out.” Oracle explains. 

“If that's the case it seems as if whatever is down there is being held captive.” Queen comments thoughtfully. 

“That means..everyone is going towards a life of imprisonment?” Noir asks in surprise. 

“I have to say it gives off an eerie feeling..” Fox states as he looks towards the rest. 

“Not to interrupt everyone’s brooding, but we should head downwards, we don’t have time to procrastinate.” Joker states as she nods to the door. 

So together they enter past the bleak doors of the gate and they are greeted with the sight of blood red veins heading downwards. For Joker she is also greeted by the twins. 

Well everyone is commenting on the eeriness of it all she approaches Caroline and Justine. 

“We will help you heal if you come to us,” Caroline states. 

“It is the least we can do to resee the end of your rehabilitation,” Justine says with a soft smile. 

“Don’t fail us!” Caroline yells as she points her baton at her. 

“Of course,” Joker responds with a nod. 

She faces towards her allies and lightly crosses her arms. “Let’s give this all we got, for Mona.” She says as she looks towards her small not-cat friend. 

“Joker..” He says softly as he smiles at her. 

She smiles back though she knows it doesn’t quite reach her eyes, she has to be strong. Just for a little while longer…

* * *

Joker leads her comrades through several puzzles and battles as she commands them as a team once more. Though she has never been one to hold back, it was the truth. 

Slowly they get deeper until they arrive to a set of bars and on the other side were the former palace rulers that they had taken down. All except Okumura. 

“Who is the ruler here?” Queen asks Shido. 

“What a silly question, isn’t it obvious? The general public is the ruler of this palace.” Shido states as he looks at them with consideration. 

“They are prisoners willingly?” Noir asks. 

“We are doing the right thing..right?” Skull asks. 

“There is no going back,” Joker states as she looks at Mona. “Do you have some memories back?” 

“Mhm, the farther down we go the more that I remember.” Mona confirms. 

After taking down more shadows they continue downward, solving more puzzles until eventually they reach the bottom. Coming face to face with the ‘worst criminals’ cell. 

It was familiar to both her and Mona. 

“I was born here,” Mona states with a nod. 

“Here?” Skull asks. 

“Yes,” Mona then walks up to Joker and smiles. “I remember more now..” 

Joker smiles down at her furry companion. Then they face the shrine ahead of them. 

“Let’s go.” With that they walk forward and into the shrine. 

In their final moments of battle they can hear the disapproval of the masses and she hears Skull. 

“They wanted this?” He asked in confusion as they all collapse. 

Then they wake up in central plaza.

“Did we lose?” Makoto asks. 

“Damnit!” Ryuji yells at the top of his lungs. Then he lets out a horrified sound as he looks down to his fading hand. 

She watches as her comrades disappear before her very eyes in horror. 

“I’m sorry..” Is the last thing Morgana states as he disappears. 

She turns onto her back and looks up at the sky as she fades away…

* * *

“In the end your rehabilitation was not carried through, it would seem that I had underestimated you.” Igor states as she wakes to the Velvet Room. 

“Where are my friends?” She asks carefully as she glares in defiance at him. 

“You incompetent prisoner!” Caroline yells as she slaps the bars of her cell. 

  
“The assistance that we provided was all for naught.” Justine states as she looks disappointed. 

“Humans are more apathetic..and foolish than I had believed them to be.” Igor states with his everlasting smile still in place. “The world will soon meet its ruin.”

“Where are my friends?” She repeats with a glare. 

He does not respond with an answer only with a set of words, “You have lost this game. You were meant to bring change to the world as a Trickster. Though it appears it was too much for you.”

“In accordance to this game's rules, the defeated shall pay a price.” Igor states, “Your life shall be forfeit.” 

Well Caroline and Justine grow alarmed, Akira just watches numbly. 

“I sentence you to be executed,” Igor states. 

“Executed?” Caroline asks in confusion. 

In response Igor begins to tap his fingers on the desk. “God’s decree is absolute..my experiment was all for naught. Now, grant that woman a swift death.” 

“If that is our master’s wish..” Caroline states as she looks to the ground. 

“So, you are going to execute me?” Akira asks numbly.

“I-It just means, you were not an upstanding prisoner!” Caroline yells as she hits the bars of her prison not as heavily as normal. 

“That might be true but..” Justine states carefully.

“What is the matter? Carry out her sentence at once.” Igor orders. 

“Are we really going to kill her?” Justine asks in desperation as she looks for the answer in her twin's eyes. 

“Do not falter now!” Caroline yells as she takes out her key and unlocks the door. Both of them then drag her before the guillotine. 

“All right, we shall now execute you, inmate!” Caroline states sternly. 

She sighs as she remembers that she still needs to save her comrades, she could not die yet. With that in mind she stands up her rebellious will turning into her Joker outfit. Behind her the jail cell bars shatter. 

“How insolent, to think after all this you’d still show your rebellious will!” Caroline yells. “Ready, Justine?” 

“If our master..orders so. It cannot be helped.” Justine says softly.

“Now let us show our strength to this..prisoner, who never learns when to give up!” Caroline yells. 

Akira would not give up yet, she still had to save her fellow thieves...

“Understood.” Justine states as she gets into a fighting stance.

“Death to the criminal,” the twins say in unison as they begin their fight. 

Caroline taps her staff, “Don’t resist your sentence.” 

“One's last moments should be spent in grace,” Justine agrees. 

They both attack her and she cannot move to respond back, as if something was stopping her. 

Justine pauses after her attack, “Caroline..this power, it is as I had thought!” She stated in surprise. 

“I had told you not to falter, are you going against our masters wishes?!” Caroline asks. 

Justine simply shakes their head and once more they begin to attack her, though she cannot fight back, though she stays standing, not willing to fall.

“Our duty isn’t to kill her!” Justine protests as she continues to withstand against their attacks by will alone. 

Akira just wants them to tell her where her friends are.

“We have another duty..?” Caroline asks in question and she stops attacking.

“I believe I had ordered her execution.” Igor states as he walks forward. 

“Master..have you forsaken humanity..?” Caroline asks. 

“Our true goal is to rehabilitate prisoners, it is not to kill.” Justine states. 

In that moment Akira hears a familiar voice asking for help and she looks up. 

“That is correct we are not executioners,” Justine states, seemingly hearing the voice as well. 

“We will not forsake humanity!” Caroline yells with conviction. 

Then in a moment cognition shifted and she watched as they fell clutching their heads, a moment later they stood up different from before. 

“I finally remember,” Caroline states. “How we were torn apart!”

“We were originally one, yet we had been torn asunder by malevolent intent!” Justine yells with a glare. 

“So we were captive the same as you..to think we’d learn that truth from a prisoner.” 

“Now, let us reclaim our true form. Fuse us together,” Justine states to Akira. 

“Alright,” she agrees. Then she walks forward and uses the guillotine on the two. 

In a beautiful scene of blue butterflies coming together there stands a singular girl. 

“My name..is Lavenza.” She states with a bow, “I had been torn apart by malevolent will, and took the form of those twins.” 

_If we lose you the path to the Holy Grail..will forever be closed._

_That’s why you must recall the truth once more._

_And I beg of you please...save us..._

“I believed in you, I knew that you would make it thus far.” Lavenza states. 

Lavenza takes up a defensive stance besides her, “You, the scoundrel that has swindled my masters name. You cannot deceive me any longer, now that my sight has been restored.” 

“The game isn’t over yet.” He states as he begins to float into the air. 

He chuckles darkly, “If humanity rises or falls it is not my concern, it is all sport to me.”

“Be careful,” Lavenza warns her. 

“You are not Igor, which means..” Akira trails off.

“Yes, I am the Holy Grail that grants wishes. Or more accurately, the god who responds to the desires of man, and holds dominion over humanity.” The Holy Grail states. “I had hoped that by seeing you, the righteous thief act. They would have changed their own hearts. Though the masses have made it so that none of such things had transpired..

“Humans have brought forth ruin; you have been the answer to that. Though for what it is worth you may be worth a reevaluation. A human has reached the Holy Grail, and seen through to my true self.” The Holy Grail states, “You have surprised me again and again, you are truly a prisoner that amuses me.” 

A familiar voice echoes through her hand, forming the end of her bond. 

_I am thou,_ **_thou_ ** _art I…_

 _Thou hast turned a_ **_vow_ ** _into a blood oath._

_Thy bond shall become the wings o_ **_f rebellion_ **

_And_ **_break_ ** _the yoke of thy heart._

_Thou hast_ **_awakened_ ** _to the ultimate secret_

 _Of the_ **_Fool_ ** _, granting thee infinite power.._

Once the tarot card leaves her mind she hears him speak once more. 

“Perhaps observing you a while longer would prove amusing..I will grant you the opportunity to make a deal with me.” 

“What is this deal?” She asks, crossing her arms lightly and feels slight intrigue. 

“Should you wish it, I will return the world to its prior state – one ramphant with distorted masses.” The Holy Grail states, he is then interrupted by Lavenza. 

“You pushed her into a game she had no say in, and now you continue to wish to toy with her?!” 

She is however ignored as the Holy Grail continues, “The Phantom Thieves shall be praised and gain fame. Now, what’s say you?” 

If she could bring Akechi back, the dea,l she would accept. But she could not live in a world without him...it was the truth 

“I cannot accept your offer.” Akira states with a cold monotone voice. 

“Well said,” Lavenza states. Hopefully she never knows she almost considered it. 

“Foolishness, you wish for your own death? I have no need for you then,” the Holy Grail states before he disappears, allowing for the Velvet Room to change back to how it should be. 

Before her eyes is Igor the true master of the room. 

“Master!” Lavenza yells as she moves towards him. 

He wakes from unconsciousness and states with a softer voice then the Holy Grail, “Ahh, it’s been a while since I had last stepped foot in this place.” 

He notices her and states softly, “Welcome to the Velvet Room. My name is Igor, I am pleased to make your acquaintance.” 

“He is the rightful master of this room and the true aid on your journey.” Lavenza speaks as she looks towards her. “My master has returned and you have won against that malevolent god's temptation. Thus you may be able to save this world from certain ruin. Though you cannot do this alone.” 

“You will find your comrades around here, I’m sure you can release them when you return. We will explain what your next step shall be.” Lavenza gestures towards the hallway. 

She rushes down the hall and one by one releases each of her comrades, though Mona is nowhere to be found. They head back to where Igor and Lavenza are waiting. 

“What is this place?” Fox asks as he looks around. 

“More importantly..who are they?” Queen asks as she points towards Igor and Lavenza as they walk into the room. 

“My name is Igor, I am the master of the Velvet Room.” Igor states.

“I am Lavenza, a resident of this place as well. We have been waiting for all of you.” Lavenza speaks as she looks towards the group with a kind gaze.

“Velvet room?” Noir asks no one in particular. 

“My master has just been released from a long period of imprisonment. His powers have not fully returned. Though it may be presumptuous of me I will speak on his behalf-” Lavenza is then interrupted by Panther. 

“Hey, where’s Morgana?” 

“Would you like to see him?” Lavenza asks. 

“Of course,” Akira replies with a nod. 

“He’s right over there.” She points to Jokers old cell and they turn to see the not-cat walk out. 

“That’s where you were hiding?” Skull asks in surprise. 

“I was born here..” Mona states, as he looks towards them seriously. “It was to dispel an evil being from man’s spiritual world..” 

“Mona..?” Oracle asks. 

“My job was to find the Trickster and help them defeat it. That’s why I was created here by my master.” Mona finishes explaining as he looks towards Igor. 

“Indeed,” Igor states. 

  
“I really remember everything. When this place was about to be taken over, my master gathered the last traces of mankind’s hope. He mustered up his remaining strength to make me.” 

“The entity that calls itself a god is a malevolent will that forces man into everlasting servitude. It hopes to attain eternal peace by filling reality with those who have stopped thinking for themselves.That is the ruin of man that this evil god envisions.” Lavenza finishes. 

“I don’t...um..get what you're saying at all-” Skull can’t finish as Lavenza interrupts him in a huff. 

“Be quiet and listen! We don’t have much time left!” 

“Wait a moment. The Holy Grail is..a ‘god’?” Queen asks. “I was wondering why it had a will of its own, but are you implying that it isn’t a treasure?” 

“No. As the distorted desires of the masses, it is most certainly the core of Mementos itself.” Lavenza explains. 

“Then..did the Treasure become a god because people wished to be ruled over?” Noir asks looking down. 

“That is correct,” Lavenza confirms. “To decide the fate of the world, it chose two people with potential and pitted them against each other. One – Goro Akechi –incited the masses’ distortion. Had he won, the world would’ve been destroyed and remade. The other was a Trickster who would stand up against this..That was Akira Kurusu.” 

She feels her anger flair at the thought. The god had forced the two into a war where neither would be the victor...

“If she had won, the human world would be left as is..” Mona states with a smile. “Those were the conditions of the game– at least, that’s what should've happened.”

“That malevolent being knew that a revolution would not occur in indolent humans. After all, it is the masses' distorted desires incarnate.” She shakes her head, “However, my true master believed in humanity. He believed that a Trickster would rise up among the people and accomplish this change. But that evil entity laughed at the prospect, and sought to prove the powerlessness of man with the game. Akira Kurusu had great potential..which is why it approached her.

“It helped train the Trickster, only to cast her into despair, using the masses who rejected their savior. This was likely its means to nip in the bud anything that would pose a threat.” She pauses for a moment, “Now that I think back to when I was separated, I felt a disagreement to the word “rehabilitation.” Of course I did...it was just a means for the fake to keep you under surveillance.” 

“Basically, she was dragged into a game where the evil god rigged the outcome,” Mona explains with a seriousness to his voice. 

“Damnit! What the hell!” Skull yells in disagreement, voicing what they all felt. 

“Your real world has already been fused with Mementos. You do not exist because reality is replete with the cognition of those who deny the Phantom Thieves. It can be said that the world is one step away from the evil god’s machinations.” She then looks towards Akira, “However there is still hope. Akira Kurusu. Now that the evil god’s identity has been exposed, you can see your rehabilitation to its completion. Only you can leave this prison, and save this distorted world and its captive people..” 

She then furrows her brows, “Young lady, guided by Morgana and thy worthy of the Trickster name..You must challenge the evil god and reclaim your existence in reality. Are you up to this task?” She asks carefully. 

“Of course,” she nods with a conviction, though in reality she just wishes to get revenge on the fake god..

“Let’s destroy that annoying, shiny Treasure jerk for sure this time!” Skull yells, voicing the rest of the thieves thoughts. 

“Excellent, there is nothing to fear. You already possess the strength to oppose this evil god.” Igor states, with a chuckle “I am truly looking forward to this.” 

“Our mutual friend knows where the exit is. Morgana, please guide them.” Lavenza says, “And thank you for all that you’ve done. It’s a cruel responsibility that’s been cast upon you…”

“I will accept your words of appreciation fully when everything is over.” Morgana tells her, “Now follow me!”

They follow Mona out of the exit and to a familiar door, once they exit they are greeted by a distorted world and they all frown. 

With time they make their way to the shrine once more and enter the false god’s lair…

* * *

She led her comrades through the gates of the Holy Grails ‘shrine.’ They calmly walk up to the figure of ‘Igor.’ 

“Rebels who choose to deny the Prison of Regression..why do you mere humans still dare to oppose me!?” He asks. 

“Stop acting like you’re a god! You’re just a Treasure! Shut up and let us destroy you!” Panther yells. 

“Fools..do you still not understand? Your actions shall not save a single soul..” with a laugh he turns into a giant oversized golden ‘trophy.’ 

“How do you think it is that I–” Unfortunately the so-called ‘Holy Grail’ is cut off, Joker was really done hearing him speak, so she shot at him. 

“I’m really getting tired of listening to you, let’s just get down to business.” Joker usually isn’t so pushy but she has heard three 'villainous speeches’ in the last week and one within the last few hours, already given by the Holy Grail. 

“Tch, indolent humans–” “Less talking, more fighting.” 

Once the Holy Grail was beaten, they all watched in surprise as the shrine began to shake and break down. 

“What the eff is going on? This looks bad, you guys!” Skull yells as he looks up at the catastrophe before them. 

They all watched in slight horror as the already oversized ‘trophy’ turned into an even bigger one, can’t she have a break? 

“Give..me a break,” she hears the exact same words she was just thinking leaving Oracles mouth. 

The transform ‘trophy’ speaks up, “I am the administrator born of the collective human unconscious. The god of control, Yaldabaoth.” 

“This is crazy! It’s like a building!” Oracle yells. “Oh and guys! Final boss alert!” 

“The administrator must guide mankind toward proper develop—”   
  
“Pardon my language,” Noir interrupts. “But please, shove it up your ass.” 

“I have to agree to be honest,” Queen states.

There’s soft hums of agreement by the rest. 

“Really, Noir. You beat me to it,” Joker states slightly sad about that fact. 

“Apologies, Joker.” Noir responds seriously. 

Then once more the fight begins, they slice off metal arms and build up to give out heavy damage. However, they can’t keep it up with their current strength and become weak. 

Then the masses' encouragement override Yaldabaoth’s original power, this allows Joker to summon her ultimate persona Satanael. 

She raises her gun not looking at her hand, too afraid that she would waver. 

“This is for Akechi. Along with all of the lives you ruined, now out of my sight. Begone.” She pulls the trigger at the same moment as Satanael, then she puts a bullet right through the oversized hunk of metal. 

With a smirk of satisfaction she pockets her weapon, she knows that if she looked she would panic, or even if she thought about it. It was best to turn down her mind for that moment and she looked towards her comrades as the Treasure fell down before them. 

“Mona, we did it!” She yells in excitement as she faces the small not-cat. 

“Yeah, never forget this feeling. Sometimes humans can forget that they are the ones with the power to change the world for the better..” Mona then slowly walks towards the trophy-like-figure and everyone just asks out loud.

“Mona?”

“Thank you, for your help…” Mona states. 

“It was all thanks to you though, wasn’t it..Morgana,” Queen states. 

“It was thanks to all of us,” Mona says. “Don’t forget you helped to change the world too, and I gotta do it alongside people that I admire so much.” 

“Thank you, Morgana,” Joker says with a nod towards her companion. 

“Like I said, thank you. Now..let’s go home.” 

With that the Treasure shines brightly and they disappear in a brilliant flash of light.. 

* * *

After the brilliant flash of light they find themselves standing waist deep in red water on the streets of Tokyo. 

The rain continues to shower them as they look up at the sky above. The sun begins to peak behind the clouds, and they all look down in alarm as the red rain cracks and then shatters. 

The red glass shards move towards the sky and the otherworldly skelton far above them begins to fade away as well. 

Quickly the world glows a beautiful white. 

“Why is it—” Panther begins to ask. 

“The whole world is a product of cognition,” Mona begins to speak. “It can be freely remade, the same goes for you, and everyone else.”

They all turn towards their furry companion who has also begun to glow. 

“Mona!” They all try to walk forward only to be cut off by a white light coming through a crack in the ground. 

“One where mankind isn’t held captive,” Mona speaks. “The world will shine brightly as long as you hold hope in your hearts.” 

“How can I hold onto hope without you!” Akira finds herself yelling as tears spill from her eyes. 

Mona begins to fly up into the sky taken with the rest of the world. “Remember there’s no such thing as the “real” world.” 

Akira feels herself reaching out to Mona as the last words leave him before the world fades to white before them. 

“What each person sees and feels…”

“...Those are what shape reality.”

* * *

Once the world faded back to reality she began to sob and cry. Ann moved forward and embraced her and allowed her to rest her head on her shoulder, for the next couple minutes they just hugged in the middle of the street many people checked on her well she cried into Ann’s shoulder. 

“She just found out that her pet passed away on the phone, she was really close to him, sorry, for the scare,” Ann said sweetly to each stranger that stopped to ask. The rest of the thieves bounced anxiously watching and also wanting to comfort their leader, but they left it to Ann as the one that knew Akira the longest, she was also probably the most compassionate. 

After Akira finally came down to sniffles, Ann once more spoke up. “Will you be okay? Do you need me to walk you home? I could stay the night too, I know how hard you’ve been taking things lately..” 

“No, I think I’ll be fine to go home,” Akira says in a hoarse voice as she wipes away more tears from her puffy eyes. 

“Well, okay, but just call me if you need me,” Ann says as she helps her stand up to where they had ended up hugging on the ground. 

She says her goodbyes to all her friends and begins to head home. 

  
Sae had approached her not long after, once everyone had left for home to mourn over the loss of Morgana. 

“I need you to stand at Shido’s trial, you’re the only one that can after Akechi’s disappearance,” Sae had said. “It will also get your teammates out of trouble, and also help convict Shido. Though this means you’ll have to turn yourself in and you will surely be placed in Juvenile Hall." She said this and then she turned, she gives her a look with almost pity. 

“Y-Yeah I'll do it," Akira voice trails off for a moment she then speaks stronger. "There's no reason to ask, Sae-san. I owe you my life after all,” Akira tries to give a reassuring smile.

“Alright, I assume you wish to spend time with the others, be sure to turn yourself in tomorrow morning. Now...take care, Akira,” Sae says with a smile as she turns and walks away. 

Akira still wasn’t sure how her legs had managed to get her back to Leblanc. 

* * *

The next morning she took a train to Shibuya and walked to the police station and as soon as she walked inside the police officer were pulling her hands behind her shoulders and applying handcuffs to her form. She looked as tired as she felt as she was put into the back of a police car and then drove to the nearest Juvenile Hall. 

“Now don’t cause any fights, we don’t want you in trouble here. Do what your guards say and don’t do anything silly, Kurusu-chan.” One of the female guards explains, she was a friend of Sae’s and she had a considerate look on her face. “Though don’t be afraid to ruffle up some of the girls here, just don’t start it and the guards here will take that into account.” 

Akira just nods saying nothing as she is led into her singular cell. She looks around and already can think of a billion ways to escape with her thief trained eyes. This is what she does to pass the time, think of escape routes, she also spends her time when out in the prison yard lifting weights, just to pass the time. 

She tries to think of everything but her two companions she misses most, Akechi and Morgana. Though the scar Akechi had left on her heart will never fade away. 

Though eventually her mind wanders again to a memory she wasn’t quite sure if it was completely true or not. 

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

— — — — — — — — — —-

— — — — — --

— — —-

— —

-

She watched the boy drink coffee once more and couldn’t help but say, “You know you really are adorable, Akechi-kun.” 

“A–Adorable?” He asks, confused with a slight blush on his cheeks. “Why do you say that?” 

“Well it’s hard to explain. I do however have a gift for you,” Akira states as she takes said gift out from under the counter. 

“Kurusu-chan you didn’t have to!” Akechi says waving his hands in dismissal. 

“I wanted to, it’s for a late birthday present, so happy late birthday, Akechi-kun.” She states this with a flourish. 

“No one has said that to me..since..my mother passed away..” Akechi says softly, “Thank you so much, Akira..” 

“Did you just call me Akira?” She asks as she hands the present to Akechi. 

He blushes bright red and almost drops the box. “That was inappropriate of me, I apologize.” 

“No, I wouldn’t mind hearing you say it more.” 

“If you say so, now let us see what I have here.” Akechi begins to untie the ribbon and opens it to see a box of chocolates. 

“Chocolates?” He asks confused. 

“Well they are milk chocolate so they remind me of you, sweet and they match your hair color.” Akira states as she sneaks one into her mouth. 

  
“Akira! Those were my chocolates!” Akechi yells. 

“They were mine first!” She says playfully as she reaches over to squish the detectives cheeks.   
  
“Stop embarrassing me!” 

“Never!” She yells in retaliation. 

  
  
  


-

— —

— — —-

— — — — — --

— — — — — — — — — —-

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

A few days later she’s eating dinner when a girl yells at her. 

“Don’t you know anything, we follow a hierarchy first. That was supposed to be my food, you bitch.” One of the girls states as she pushes her out of the chair. 

Akira rolls away and stands up brushing her hands off on her clothes, then she notices the girl moving forward to punch her and she casually side-steps her attack then knees her in the stomach. This sends the girl curling up in a lump on the floor. 

“I’ll get you back for this..” She states as she holds her stomach.

Akira pays her no mind as she walks back to her food. Really the girl just started a pointless fight. She enjoyed every last drop of Miso soup from her bowl and once she was finished she waved for her guard who was a kinder woman. 

“Please, take me to the baths?” She asked carefully and the woman nodded in response. She was then led to the bathhouse of the Juvenile Hall. She carefully undresses when she gets inside and wraps a towel around herself as she walks in to take her bath. 

Well she is soaking in the bath, her mind wanders to thoughts of Akechi, she knows she thinks about him constantly but..it felt as if half of herself was missing because he was gone. 

It led to another moment she had with Akechi playing on her mind, one that she has been avoiding because it feeds her guilt. 

———————————————

——————————-

—————--

———-

——

-

The team was sitting in a waiting room in Mementos, trying to replenish some stamina before moving onward. 

“Joker, can I speak to you for a moment?” Crow asked. 

“Yeah, what’s up?” She responded. 

Crow glanced around nervously, “Alone?” 

“Oh sure,” she said, a tad nervous, she waved to the others to stay. She then left the waiting room and led to where the stairs went farther down. 

“What’s up?” Joker asked Crow. 

“It’s just that, I wanted to say something important, it’s about wh––” He was cut off by Panther walking up towards them. 

“Hey we’re ready to go!” She shouts and Crow looks towards Akira desperately. 

“Can we continue this chat later?” She asked carefully, 

“Yeah, sure..” Crow said and then they continued onward. 

Later when they reached the surface of Mementos she approached him again. 

“Crow, what did you want to speak about earlier?” She asked carefully

“Oh, it’s nothing.” He says with a reassuring smile as he turns towards the rest of the group. 

Now she knows it wasn’t nothing..she feels guilty, like perhaps if she would have reached out more he would have come to their side. But even so..perhaps it turned out for the best, because either way. Death would have awaited him..

-

——

———-

—————--

——————————-

———————————————

That night she woke with a start and remembered that the Velvet Room had just disappeared, she curled up into a tight ball and screamed into her knees. Life was not fair…

* * *

The next month she spent in and out of questioning, and eventually attended Shido’s trial as a witness to his crimes. Eventually she received the news from Sae that she would be released soon, and the words came true as the next day she exited the Juvenile Hall and Sojiro and Futaba were waiting to greet her with smiles. 

Then they headed back to Leblanc where the rest awaited her arrival. 

“We need to throw you a huge party!” Ryuji yells to her. 

“I agree! We will have cake and the best foods! Oh I can even bring some movies!’ Ann jumps around excitedly at the idea. Then becomes crestfallen, “If only Morgana was here…” 

  
The mood seems to drop as soon as the not-cat is mentioned. 

Then a tingling is heard to let them know someone entered, then they see a familiar black and white figure. 

“Morgana!” They all yell happily as their friend arrives. 

“We thought you were gone,” Haru states as she approaches Morgana first. 

Akira looks toward Morgana and she smiles softly, “Welcome home, Morgana.” 

* * *

Morgana’s appearance had helped and she continued to go to school, she continued to eat normally for a while. Eventually about a week before she was going home she worsened considerably. 

She started to eat less, sleep less, get up less. Nothing anyone could say would get her out of bed. 

Though nothing was really different, she just lost the strength to keep this up. It reminded her of a memory as she looked down at the cuts on her wrist.

One she wasn’t quite sure if it had happened the way she remembered..

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

— — — — — — — — — —-

— — — — — --

— — —-

— —

-

That day she stood in front of Akechi, he was different than usual. His hair was disheveled and he wore a pained look on his face as he sat on the bar stool and took a sip of coffee.

“Do you think some people..deserve to die?” He asks carefully. 

“Perhaps, but what brought this up?” She asks softly as she looks him in the eyes. 

He looks away and then down at his hands and then faces her again. 

“Perhaps, I am just tired of this never ending cycle of death.” He says with an awful attempt at a smile. 

She didn’t quite understand at the time but she does now. If she could go back she would say yes. 

Some people deserve death..

  
  


-

— —

— — —-

— — — — — --

— — — — — — — — — —-

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Crimson red, the color of her gloves, now the color of the water.

For her everything faded to black, with a wish on her tongue.. Just one.

Bring him back. 

* * *

She wakes up in the mental empty space of the once Velvet Room, she opens her hand and summons forth the World Arcana card. She crushes it with her palm and it goes up in blue flames and before her is a woman.   
  


She walked forward, her kimono moving in the still air, it was a beautiful lavender colored kimono the same color as the woman’s eyes, with golden butterflies all across the fabric. A golden obi loosely held around her waist, long black strands of hair running down her shoulders and just slightly past her waist. Lavender eyes meet gray, and the woman smirks as she puts her hand on her katana that is meekly held up by a thread connected to her obi. 

She walks around examining her, wooden geta hit the ground and echo off the nonexistent walls. The floor is also nonexistent, though it still makes a physical sound. 

“Hello, child,” she says in a voice not dissimilar to Caroline, though a bit softer but her voice is quite a bit deeper. “You wish to change fate? Then why don’t we make a deal,” when those words leave her lips she stops in front of her. 

Akira for the first time in months feels that familiar surge of rebellion. “Whatever your deal is, I accept,” she says with a nod. 

_I am_ **_thou_ ** _, thou art I…_

 _Thou hast acquired a_ **_new_ ** _vow._

_It shall_ **_become_ ** _the wings of rebellion_

 _that_ **_breaketh_ ** _thy chains of captivity._

_With the birth of the World Arcana,_

_I have obtained the_ **_winds_ ** _of blessing that_

 _shall lead to freedom and new_ **_power_ ** _…_

Akira stood still after time came back into flow and the World Arcana tarot already passed from her mind's eye. 

“I will give you the ability to pass through time, and I will fight by your side. In return show me the world through your eyes,” she says with a smile as she holds out her hand. Akira holds onto it and when she does she is back in her Joker costume. 

In an instant she's standing on a dark plain, dark green grass at her feet shadowed by the night sky above. She hears the rushing of water and turns her head to see dark waters with white blobs rushing through and floating into open waters. She finds herself running towards it and running along the river. 

“This is the Sea of Souls, to the known eye it is always like this, though to those oblivious they can only see a sight like this at night. There are places like this all over the world, where souls gather to float out into the oceans and then ascend to the heavens, only to be reincarnated,” Mirai speaks as she walks by her side. “We are here for a particular soul,” she takes her hand once more and then into the water they go. Rushing downwards and past many souls, they find a blob that seems to call out for Akira.   
  
“Goro…” She realizes and reaches out to take his soul gently into her hands. She pulls the blob close to her chest and then she allows Mirai to take hold of it. 

Mirai gently takes the soul in hand and then after being bathed in a pale light they are walking the thread of time, back, back, back. Back to a time when Goro was still innocent and Akira was held back by the strings of society. A time when the Metaverse was just blossoming, and distortions and cognitions were beginning to reform into society once again, as it always does. 

For peace does not exist for long…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to hear people's opinions in the comments on my newer version of it! 
> 
> Also Mirai (未来) is a Japanese female name meaning 'future.' Mirai is a being made solely from Akira's own will, her will was strong enough to create such a being. I will upload stats on Mirai as a persona in the future, there will only be a set few persona's I will create, Mirai being one of them, Akechi will also be getting his own in a future chapter. 
> 
> All of the other personas will be based off of mythical beings from literature and mythology. Mirai is the only exception. The World Arcana will also be featured as a confidant in my fanfiction. I hope it was up to satisfaction, and please tell me if there's anything else I could add. 
> 
> Kudos!
> 
> Also edit: I don’t know how to fix my flashback things well also making them look cool can anyone help me fix this?


	2. To Live Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goro learns new things that day.  
> One he was alive again.  
> Two he had been controlled in his last life.  
> Three he needs to save the world. 
> 
> And four, he can change his future.

“It appears that inmate has decided to change fate once more,” a soft feminine voice says. “You were chosen by a malevolent entity to play apart in his twisted game. He had pegged you against her, the one you hold deeply within your heart.” 

He blinks, opening his eyes slowly to find himself in the center of a courtroom. He faces the smaller girl; as he sits up slowly from the velvet couch beneath him. He stands up only to lean onto the railing of the dock in the empty courtroom. The courtroom around him looks to be made of walnut wood, wherever there is a seat it's made of plush velvet. The empty space looks like a very formal yet old fashioned courtroom. 

His dock he is stuck in has a lock so that he cannot get out. Though he is more confused than anything for this moment. Though he’s seen crazier in the Metaverse. 

“Though he never could have expected her light to Illuminate your way,” she says as a soft smile falls on her lips. She then moves to the side and turns toward the master of this room. 

“Hello Trickster, welcome to the Velvet Room,” he says in a soft voice. He sits behind a large judges desk and gestures with his hand. ”I am Igor, the master of this place. The Velvet Room, a place between dream and reality, mind and matter. This place reflects the state of your own heart. Perhaps you wish to be judged for your crimes deep within your heart?” He turns it into an almost question. 

“How am I alive?” Goro feels himself asking unintelligently. He nearly winces at the tone he uses, he hasn’t heard himself sound that uncertain since he was a child. 

“Inmate had brought you back to a time when you were still innocent, you should be grateful to her efforts, Prisoner,” the girl states teasingly. “I am Lavenza and I will be your collaborator. I will assist you with fusing new personas, and I will help you on your way toward rehabilitation, unfortunately inmate will be the one to foresee the end of it. Yaldabaoth is sure to come to take over this place once more,” she says cheerily. “I have faith that inmate will destroy him again, this time with the first trickster involved in this game.” 

“Before you awaken, you should know that if you meet her face to face, well before last time anyway. Both of you will cease to exist in the cognitions of others. Thus disappearing from existence. Be careful, you will only be given so many retries,” she then reaches over and hits him on the head with her book and then he finds himself falling back onto the velvet cushions behind him.

* * *

His fading back into reality was like a **_SNAP._ ** Like pieces of twine snapping from one another and then being woven into another. He awoke with a **_gasp_ **, as he felt everything at once. When he sat up he looked around to find himself in the dorm room of his school Ukiyo High School.

It was one of the finest private schools in Japan, (infuriating) it only asks for a little over the general public school fee. It has way more extra curricular classes almost on the same level as a homeschooling program. (Which was the only reason he chose it.) Minus of course multiple languages. It was the same school he had been attending the last few years, well in his previous life. 

It was one of the few schools in Japan that wasn’t as strict, in fact every teacher was chosen to encourage students to do their best. It is considered a slightly unusual school to outsiders. 

A school where you could even dye your hair, on school grounds no less, (it happened once) a place where you are encouraged to follow your passions. 

You can guess how sick Goro was of it by day three. Ugh he hated that place in his last life. But perhaps this would be different. He slowly sat up and looked at his bare hands, he needed to go out and buy gloves. (He used to wear them even to bed. It made him feel comfortable in his own skin.)

He sits up to see someones back to him as they sit at their desk doing school work. Goro slowly gets out of bed, careful not to make too much noise, he then makes his bed and then walks over to his roommate, he feels a bit naked without his gloves so he puts one hand over the other as if to make himself feel better. 

“Hello there, I don’t think we spoke much yesterday,” Goro says with a gentle smile to the red headed boy in front of him. 

Said boy turns to face him and he gives him a quick smile, “No we didn’t, my name is Himura Konstantin, you must be Akechi-kun?” The boy––Himura asks. 

“Yes, I am Akechi Goro, it’s a pleasure to truly meet your acquaintance.”

“Any chance you could spare a bit of your time to help out your new roommate?” Himura asks as he taps his pencil on the table.

“I’d think I could,” Goro says as he pulls up a chair to sit next to his roommate. “What do we have here?” He asks more to himself than anything as he looks at Himura’s school work. He was working on math right now, inequalities to be precise. “This is actually pretty easy, just subtract the numbers from each side and your equation is solved,” Goro explains as he shows him what to do. 

“I’m better at literature then my math class, along with English, it’s my third language,” Himura seems to watch what Goro is doing and then applies it himself. They then move on from inequalities to the basics of polynomials.

Within a half an hour they are both finished and Himura lets out a sigh of relief. “You really are something, normally it takes me a good two hours to finish my school work,” Himura says as he scratches the back of his head. “How about we go out to get some coffee, there's a Starbucks just a few blocks away.” 

“That sounds great, you don’t have to get me a coffee though,” Goro finds himself replying when in the past he would have jumped at the chance to have someone buy something for him.

“No it’s my treat, you helped me out so it’s only the right thing to do. Now let’s get going, my man,” Himura says as he goes to the door of their shared room, he puts on his sneakers at the door and then he puts on a black cap over his head, along with a leather jacket over his shoulders. 

Goro goes to his corner of the room and dresses behind a curtain, he has some modesty. He puts on a casual short sleeved button down shirt and torn blue jeans, they are torn from overuse not by choice. He then walks out and puts on his used sneakers. He wished he had on his cozy sweater or a trench coat, and even more importantly gloves. 

He feels uncomfortable in his current clothes, like someone can see right through him. See the blood on his hands, even now his crimes haunt him.

“We can bike there to get there quicker,” Himura nudges Goro in the side playfully in response to Goro’s words, as they get out of the door. “Try to keep up!” Himura yells as he runs out of the door and Goro has to run after him to not lose track of him. 

Himura quickly pulls his bike out of the bike rack after unchaining it and then he hops on and bikes off. Goro is even quicker to get on his old and worn down bike and pedals after the other boy. 

Goro can feel the wind in his shoulder length chocolate colored hair, he feels a genuine smile play on his lips. He is directly behind Himura pedalling as quickly as possible. His bike suddenly becomes more wobbly and with that realization he stops pedalling entirely, his tire breaks loose from the back and using all his reflexes from his years in the metaverse he quickly rolls away after bracing himself with his left arm, just right so he doesn’t hurt himself. 

Himura slams on his breaks and hurries back to his fallen friend. “Are you okay?!” Himura jumps off his bike barely waiting for it to stop and sets it on the ground and rushes to his side.

“I’m alive,” Goro responds as he sits up and runs his hand through his messy hair. “I think I need a new bike though,” he says with a grin. 

Himura grins in response and lends his hand to help him up. Gratefully Goro takes it and hoists himself up. 

“There’s a bike shop just a block away,” Himura says as Goro takes the remains of his bike and hoists it over his shoulder. His past self wasn’t quite used to that and so he had trouble with carrying it. Himuta was patient as he walked with him, pushing his own bike along. 

“You know, I think we really will get along just fine, no more than that. I know it’s kinda weird to ask this but it seems appropriate, can we be friends?” Himura asks sheepishly. 

“I’ve never had a friend before…” Goro responds slightly embarrassed as he ducks his head behind dark hair. 

“Oh really? Well I guess this is a first for both of us!” Himura says as he playfully nudges Goro’s side much like earlier, almost knocking him over in the process. “I was homeschooled, me and my parents, along with my two younger siblings, lived in America earlier this year. Before that we lived in Russia, that was where my dad met my mom, because of his job my dad lived in many different countries. My mom homeschooled us kids after we were born.

“He was always working, but more recently he was able to open up his own company here in Japan. He said it was great to be able to be truly home again, we only really came to visit my grandparents every once in a while. Seeing as we also visited our grandparents on my mother’s side.”

“It was a lot of money we spent traveling from place to place, but in the end we had a good childhood, I think that’s what was most important,” Himura finishes speaking and with that they had arrived at the bike shop. He looked at the small shop filled to the brim with bikes, sportswear and the like, it was a general sports store that also repaired bikes and sold them. That was the important part, that wasn’t what drew in his attention though. 

By the counter stood a man with dark brown hair and he was wearing baggy clothes, he was speaking to an older man by the cash register who seemed quite uncomfortable. He thinks he recognizes him as one of Kaneshiro’s lackeys. He had heard a bit about what Kaneshiro had done to get his rank as a ‘respected’ yakuza boss. Kaneshiro even now had quite a large sum of money coming in. 

He wouldn’t think anything of this if it wasn’t for the fact that he needed to get his bike fixed. It’s at least what he thought to himself as he looked up to see the bell by the door. “Himura-kun, don’t freak out when I do this, but I really need to listen to what they’re saying undetected and the only way I can do that is through this.” 

He pulls out the metaverse app, tapping on his last search history. Then he enters the metaverse Himura by his side. “Holy shit!” He hears Himura shout by his side as he watches him scramble backwards, this was above the underground of Mementos. The distortion was small up here, yet still present. He doesn’t even wait for Himura to get a handle on this before he enters the shop. He wouldn’t be so careless if it wasn’t for the fact he needed some type of evidence against Shido. Kaneshiro was already working with him after all. 

Goro remembers that his phone had said it was the fourteenth of April, conveniently a day before he went to Shido, he still plans to, he needs to stay close to him, only to ensure no one takes his place. This was the past, anything could happen to ensure that things kept going on the same track. 

Goro is still carrying the remains of his bike, though now it's a lot lighter than in the real world. Cognition was a funny thing, things that should be heavy in reality are lighter here. 

He then walks casually and then hides behind a display that will keep him out of view of the counter.  
  


“Where are we?!” Himura asks in exasperation as he hurries to his side. 

“This is the metaverse, a place where peoples' cognitions take on a physical form. Or more precisely their more wicked desires are found in a tangible form here,” Goro says casually as if he brings people to the metaverse every day. In truth he is more focused on the yakuza, that is now continuing to speak as he brings them both back to reality, 

“You need to give me the payment, if not we will be shutting down your shop,” he says to the shopkeeper. Himura is now listening to his words after Goro signals for him to be quiet. 

“I just need one more week and I can hand you my million yen payment,” the old man says desperately. 

“My boss doesn’t take no to orders,” the yakuza says with a sneer. “If you continue to fall behind on payments we might not only force you out of your shop, our information says you keep a daughter at home. We might just have to take her from you, seeing as her dear old dad obviously can’t provide for her.” 

“You wouldn’t!” The older man says disgust evident in his tone. 

The yakuza man lights up a cigarette just to antagonize the older man, “We surely would.” Just as quickly as he let the cigarette up he stomps it out as he exits the shop. The bell is the only cheerful noise to the somber air. “Remember to pay up next week or else, something bad will happen,” the yakuza throws over his shoulder as he lets the shop door close behind him. 

Goro couldn’t hold back the disgust in his face, he knew that Kaneshiro was an awful person but he didn’t think he went this far. He felt repulsed at the thought of Akira having to deal with this. Himura’s shock stricken face still can’t process the metaverse let alone what had happened.  
  
Goro comes out of his hiding spot and steps around the display hiding them. “Sorry to have listened in, I’m sorry that I couldn’t have been of help,” Goro explains with his familiar detective smile falling onto his lips. 

“I hadn’t realized anyone was left in the shop, sorry about that,” the old man says with genuine concern which nearly makes Goro falter. “I see you have a bike with you, it looks to be in quite the wreck.” 

The older man walks over and carefully takes the old rusty bike from his fingertips. “Let’s see what we can do here,” Goro hears him say under his breath as he goes to the back of his shop where he does his repairs. He gestures for Goro to take a seat which is exactly what he does sitting on the slightly uncomfortable fold out chair. Himura sits besides him still in a bit of a daze. 

He watches as the man gets to work washing the metal off, then he dries it off and dusts on baking soda over the rusty parts of the old bike. “It’s a very old model, you know if you ever want to sell it, I could give you quite a sum of cash for this.”  
  
Goro looks at the old bike and then shakes his head, now looking at it again, with newer eyes, he appreciates it far more than before. “No, I couldn't. It was a gift from the first foster home I stayed at. The lady there had fixed it up just for me, it was the nicest home I stayed at. She had always wanted children, unfortunately she had fallen ill within the year. She told me it wasn’t my fault. I guess even then I had already thought I was a burden to others.” He isn’t sure why he is telling the older man this. Not even for sympathy.

“You know kid, I’ve heard a lot of stories over the years. I know what it feels like to not have a place to belong, in some way everyone has at one point, but they may not realize it. One day you’ll find your place. Just keep looking,” the man then looks up with a considerate look on his face and smiles at Himura. “Perhaps you already have,” 

The next few minutes are spent in comfortable silence, Himura has found himself staring at the metaverse app on his phone, well Goro has been playing a chess game on his phone. 

Goro then decides after the fifth game he’s won he is going to ask the man a few questions, he opens up a notes app on his phone and types out said question before he looks to the man again. 

The man is working on other bikes, seeming to have to get them done by the end of the night by how hard he was going at it. 

“Can I ask you some questions about the man that was just in?” Goro asks with a soft smile, one far more different from his general detective prince one. 

‘“I suppose I can spare a few questions,” the man says with a familiar look of consideration. The man then pulls up a chair and sits down with his chest resting on the back of the chair facing them. He wipes his hand clean on a white cloth. 

“How often does he come by?” 

“Twice a week now, he used to come in once a week but once they had gotten blackmail material they came by more often.”

“Why are they targeting you specifically?” 

“Probably because I helped out other shops stay afloat with all their nonsense.” 

“Why would you do that?” Goro asks truly puzzled, why would someone risk their own well being for someone else. 

“Because it’s the right thing to do,” the man says as he gets up from his chair. “I help people out not because I have to. But because it is what I should do.”

He then stretches and looks back over at Goro. “If we’re done here, I’ll get back to work, stay as long as you’d like. Your bike will be fixed within two hours,” the man says with certainty as he gets back to work, putting a new tire on an old run down bike as he makes it as good as new. 

With a sigh Goro stands up with a stretch himself. He looks towards Himura and offers him his hand. Himura gratefully takes it and hoists himself back up. “Come on, let's go to that Starbucks you offered to take me too.”

“Alright,” Himura says with a soft smile and he leads the way out, both walk in comfortable silence for the next few minutes until they are sitting down with their coffees in hand. 

“So, are you going to tell me what the hell that was back there?!” Himura whisper-yells to Goro as he fidgets with his drink, all calm is gone and replaced with pure confusion. 

“I can’t say here,” Goro says with a shake of his head.

  
  
“Why not?” Himura asks in confusion. “Well it isn’t exactly normal, Himura,” Goro replies with one of his familiar plastic smiles, only a hint of genuinity. 

“At least explain the gist of it,” Himura says as he takes a sip of his coffee trying to calm down.

He decides to write about it instead grabbing a napkin and writing out about the metaverse he makes sure his hand blocks the writing from view in an unsuspicious way. Incase cameras caught evidence. 

“Wow, I can’t believe this is real, it’s like a plot out of a manga or video game,” Himura comments as he finishes reading the short details he wrote about the metaverse. “Well it’s not like I could tell anyone this or anything, they wouldn’t believe me anyway,” he says quietly. 

Goro just smiles softly in appreciation then he twirls his finger around, directing his finger in a certain way. Though he doesn’t make it obvious where he is pointing. Though he is hoping he will realize there are cameras. 

“I promise I won’t tell anyone about your book idea, Akechi-kun,” Himura says with a soft grin as he picks up on what Goro was pointing at. 

In that moment he realizes two things. There are people out there that are like Akira, shown by the kind shop owner, now he sees it too in Himura. Another thing was that he can find an ally in him. 

“Would you be willing to help me from time to time with it?” Goro asks with hope in his eyes, he was trusting someone other than Akira, the one who stole his heart..it was new. 

“Of course, but in return any chance you’d be willing to critique my own writing?” Himura asks with a grin that meets his eyes. 

“But of course, we are forming a deal after all,” Goro discreetly puts the napkin into his pocket. 

For a moment time seems to stop and a familiar comforting feminine voice echos into his mind. 

_I am_ **_thou_ ** _, thou art I…_

 _Thou hast acquired a_ **_new_ ** _vow._

_It shall_ **_become_ ** _the wings of rebellion_

 _that_ **_breaketh_ ** _thy chains of captivity._

_With the birth of the Truth Arcana,_

_I have obtained the_ **_winds_ ** _of blessing that_

 _shall lead to freedom and new_ **_power_ ** _…_

A tarot card flashes into his mind of an eagle reaching with its beak towards a ray of light shining down, the eagle carries a torch lit with a flame in their talons. Once the symbol has faded from his mind he lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. 

He can’t help but wonder, what was that? He feels like he will figure out soon enough, with that out of mind he turns his attention back to Himura.  
  


“You alright, my man?” Himura asks. Concern laced into his voice and face as he taps Goro’s arm. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Goro works a smile onto his lips.

“Well you certainly aren’t acting fine,” Himura responds as he gets up. “How about you get your bike tomorrow, you must be tired,” he says this just as considerately as before. 

“Thanks,” Goro says his smile reaches his eyes for once, a genuine smile. “Though I think we should go to a different cafe next time,” he says quietly to not offend the baristas. “Leblanc in Yongen-Jaya, there is very good coffee and curry there.” 

“Sounds good, my man,” Himura says as he pats his back.

“Let’s get back to our dorms, I’m tired myself,” with that they’re walking out of the cafe. Himura considerately walks back with Goro, pushing his bike alongside them as they chat under the sunset, they walk back to their dorm's friendly and interesting conversation flowing between the young teenagers. 

“What do you plan to do?” Himura asks suddenly after they finished chatting about Featherman. 

“What do you mean?” Goro asks, looking at him with confusion. 

“What are your plans for the future, like what kind of job do you want to do, and what are you planning to do in that other world?” 

“It’s not something I could explain into words, or maybe at all even, I don’t know what the consequences will be. I can’t exactly talk about it, I’ll tell you eventually, hopefully.” 

“Well whenever you can I will accept whatever you have to say,” Himura says with a soft look on his face he then looks forward at the dorms in front of them. “You can get ready first, I have just a bit of schoolwork left to work on.” 

“If you insist,” Goro says as he walks into the tall building, once he reaches their room with Himura on his tail he unlocks the door with his key. 

Goro dresses into his pajamas, a simple faded blue shirt and dark gray sweatpants. He sighs as he curls up under his blankets. 

“Goodnight…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may edit this a bit though I hope it was a good first real chapter! Give me your thoughts! Also the Truth Arcana is based off a Russian Tarot Deck. 
> 
> Edit: Incase you are wondering the tarot deck is called the Magic Slavonic Tarot, or the Magic Slavic Tarot, it's a deck with two extra Major arcana one that is Institution and the other is Truth. 
> 
> Also I had edited some of this so thanks to the commenter that had pointed out my grammatical mistakes! And sorry to any I made worry about Akechi and Akira.


	3. Bentos Are Cause For Gratitude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goro really needs to take better care of himself, at least there are people that care more about him then himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really had no idea what to call this chapter....

**April 15th, 2014**

**Tuesday**

He awoke to a sudden surge of terror, bolting upwards into a sitting position; he can only faintly remember the dream that fueled his nightmares. 

It was a memory that repeated itself over and over, he had many memories that have haunted his nightmares. Tonight it was the memory of killing Akira’s cognition, that was a memory that plagued him, ever since he shot a bullet into her skull. A cognition it may have been but it was enough to shake him to his very core. 

He feels a rush of bile in his throat and knows he sat up too quickly after that dream. He feels his body move on its own as he scrambles to get unwrapped from the sheets, he rushes to the dorms bathrooms. He trips over his own feet and he barely catches himself as he rushes back onto his feet. He barely makes it in time to throw up the bile and blood in his throat. Seeing this leads him to dry heave in disgust before he stands up from the floor of the bathroom. 

With a flush of a toilet and a feeling of relief he leaves the stall and walks towards the sink. He washes his hands and while he does so he looks at his awful visage. He feels an urge to throw up again as he looks at himself. Crusty eyes and messy hair, he looked as awful as he felt. He looks back down at his hands, then his eyes travel to familiar scars on his arms. Delivered to him by his last foster parent, that was one of his worst beatings in his life. He barely notices as his hands begin to shake nearly uncontrollably. 

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—

“I’m home.” He called out to his foster mother, he had just finished with the enrollment paper to Ukiyo High school saying he wished to stay at the dorms. Which required a signature, his foster father was always busy with his mother's company. She was also very busy but always took time to speak with Goro. 

He had taken off his shoes and then left them by the door. Putting on his sandals he had walked into the house. He had remembered looking at her as she sat at the large dining room table.

“Ah, welcome home, I would like you to tell me your decision to which school you wish to attend. I will not have you dodge the subject again.” His foster mother had spoken in her formal business woman tone. She had stood in her business attire, recently had just got home if her coffee in hand was anything to go by, 

“Ukiyo High school,” he had felt his anxiety build after those words left his lips. “I know you may not agree, Akagi-san. But I chose that school for it’s criminal investigation course.” 

Her fake nails dug into her own hand as she gripped tighter onto the cup. “You decided to choose knowledge over power, I cannot agree with that decision. You are supposed to be the heir of my company seeing as I cannot produce one. I would like you to think about what you just had done, it gives me no pleasure to hurt you. I truly see you as the son I never got to have the pleasure of having.” 

The click clack of heels hitting the tiled floor echoed against the walls of the vast house. She had stopped directly in front of him and he still remembered her dark hued eyes glaring down at him. 

“You were such a good child when we first adopted you, always listening. You’re smart and manipulative, I see myself in you. I do hope you learn your lesson after this.” He had seen a gleam of the jewels wrapped around her wrist as she raised her hand above her head. The sound of skin hitting skin was all he had heard. He had felt the scratch of her jewelry hit against his face. 

He had winced at the slap and took a step back, he stared up at her with wide eyes. Then she backhanded him across the face. 

“You truly are being an ungrateful brat lately. Why couldn’t you have just gone to a fancy school with others of high class. Get yourself a pretty little girlfriend, it would save us the trouble of an arranged marriage.” He was then slapped again, then she ripped her fingers through his arm causing his right arm to bleed.  
  


“Shit, I broke a nail. This wouldn’t have happened if you just stayed obedient.” She then had kicked him right in his side sending him onto his back. His mind began to blank out after that though he still remembered the terror that brought him back to reality at the end. 

He had seen his foster mother standing above him as she moved the edge of her heel just above his eye. A sadistic grin on her lips, eyes glistening with murder, black hair shadowing her face from the sun. 

“Perhaps if I poke out your eye you will be a good boy,” she had said with a sadistically sweet tone. 

His eyes had widened and he had said with slight fear, “Akagi-sama.” He had used sama in the hopes she wouldn’t injure him farther. 

It had worked as the woman had backed off. “Such a shame, I was just starting to get into it.” She had then walked away the clacking of her heels being the only sound in the room. 

His eyes had watered then as he had sat up to look at the damage on his arms, she had ripped off the arm of his shirt when she scratched his arm. He then had gotten up off the floor so that she wouldn’t have gotten mad at him. 

“I’ll sign that document as an apology for going a bit overboard, you can have fun well in high school but when it is over I expect you to be prepared to take over my company.” She had then picked up a smoking pipe and smoke filtered into the air. She then grabbed a pen and signed her name onto the papers. 

“Clean up that mess on the floor, I’ll be going out and I expect you to be in bed by the time your father gets home, I’ll know if you aren't."

—

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Then he came out of the memory like a slap to the face. He could feel the tears that began to spill past his cheeks as he broke down from the memory. Like a glass of water overflowing so did his emotions. 

He allowed his legs to fall out from under him as he shook from the memory of it. Tears flow past his cheeks and droplets of tears land on the tiled floor. He shakes with the force of his sobs as they are strangled from his throat. He holds onto every last thread of sadness until it begins to slip through his fingers. 

He then imagines his mother cut out and bleeding in the bath who had called for him to call the police as she cut to deep how she apologized for being an awful mother as her life left her body in the hospital room. She didn’t want to die that day, she wanted to hang on for him but it got too much and she cut into her skin anyway. 

Someday he wonders if he’ll ever end up like her, cut out and bleeding because he couldn’t hold on. He realized now that she loved him so much he helped her continue forward even on her worst of days she’d look at him and brighten up like the sun coming out from behind the clouds. 

Her last words had been apologies for dying when he needed her more then she had ever needed herself. He recognizes it now, the guilt for leaving him behind. 

His sobs begin to quiet down to sniffles as the feeling of sadness begins to leave him numb. He wishes he could hold onto the emotion longer...feel something other than anger and apathy. But he knew no matter what he thought of now he wouldn’t be able to keep crying. 

All he is, is another wasted life with even more wasted dreams. Thrown away from the bitter revenge and anger he took out onto his father. He wanted to be someone's hero like Robin Hood had been to the people, but when he had grown older that dream had faded away. 

Perhaps, he could be someone's hero. Perhaps some day when he was better, and not someone too broken to even fix themselves, much less help themselves - could he then save someone?

He looks down at his still shaking hands and braces himself as he stands up on even shakier legs. Now looking at himself he lets out a chuckle, puffy eyes, red cheeks and hair even worse than before. 

One thing he is sure of is that it can only get worse from here. He doesn’t dare hope it could be better. 

He looks at his poor bleached shirt and decides that he really needs new clothes, after all he will be playing Detective Prince again. This time he is doing it by his own power, he won’t fake his results. If he wants to make it farther into Mementos he needs to be recognized as more than just a passing figure. 

With his mind set he goes back to his bedroom and collapses into his bed after locking the door behind him. 

“It’s one in the morning, I’ll hear an explanation tomorrow but you should get some sleep, Akechi-kun.” Himura says from the other side of the room. 

All that leaves Goro’s throat is an affirmative noise. 

* * *

He inhales the calming scent of walnut wood, opening his eyes to a familiar room. He sits up slowly pushing himself up he faces yellow eyes. 

“Ah you have awakened it seems. I was starting to wonder if you were going to wake up at all.” Lavenza states this with a smile as she holds her book under her arm. “My master and I wish to speak with you, it is about your social links.” 

“My social links?” Goro asks in confusion before he remembers his deal with Himura. 

“Yes, precisely! Do not be afraid for they are the center of your rehabilitation, along with their own. Your social links will guide you along the path of rehabilitation, for the safety of the world, do not feel afraid to even use myself and my master to further your goals.” She says this with a warm smile. 

“I see..” Goro says this thoughtfully as he puts a hand under his chin to think. 

“With that said, we shall continue to further your rehabilitation. In return for your help I will give you new power.” Igor states thoughtfully with his everlasting grin in place. 

A voice then fills his head as time stands still.

_I am_ **_thou_ ** _, thou art I…_

 _Thou hast acquired a_ **_new_ ** _vow._

_It shall_ **_become_ ** _the wings of rebellion_

 _that_ **_breaketh_ ** _thy chains of captivity._

_With the birth of the Fool Arcana,_

_I have obtained the_ **_winds_ ** _of blessing that_

 _shall lead to freedom and new_ **_power_ ** _…_

After the tarot card vanishes he falls backward into the plush velvet seat below. 

“This is sure to be an interesting game, it is a shame I cannot enjoy it for too long.” Igor states as he looks towards Goro. 

“Well, Prisoner. The next time you happen to go to Memento’s come to visit me and I will give you a task to complete to further your rehabilitation. Until next time.” With that she knocks him over the head with her book and the last thought that leaves Goro’s mind is _not again._

* * *

A beautiful melody slowly wakes him up from his unconsciousness. Pushing back his blankets with his feet, he slowly sits up. He stretches his arms far above his head and lets out a yawn. 

Once he has woken up a bit more he notices the piano music playing. It made him a bit curious, as to who was playing. Akechi exhales softly as he runs his right hand through knots on his left shoulder. 

He then gets out of bed and dresses quickly into his familiar school uniform. White short sleeved button down with a black and white striped tie and black jeans. It was a simple uniform though it was familiar and comfortable. 

He exits his dorm room and walks downstairs, he had not seen Himura upon waking up. Which could only mean he was downstairs in the dining area. 

Ukiyo was so much different from other schools, students couldn’t attend class if sick or even being not mentally able to. If a student was suffering from any form of depression or anxiety, or well both in some cases. They could not attend class, it was seen as strange that the school cared so much for it’s students. 

They never worked the students too hard, homework was given after every class but they were usually small projects and due after a week of being given. In the event a larger project was being given you always knew ahead of time because the teachers stopped handing out homework a week before. 

You had to arrive at school by nine, be in class by nine thirty and then your classes began at nine forty. You also had a long lunch break lasting around forty-five minutes, and school was finished by fifteen with some days being shorter. 

With this in mind seeing as it was still eight, he had about an hour and a half before classes began. He looked out the windows as he walked through the longer halls, he still had to pick up his bike and Himura is most likely going to ask him questions. 

_What to say…_

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden opening of the shoji doors that enter into the traditionally stalized dining area. 

  
“You wish, Sato-kun! You couldn’t stop me even if you tried!” A more boisterous male from the basketball team yelled over his shoulder as he ran out the door. The boy that he called too chased after him and Goro stepped to the side, 

“Get back here with my bento you thief!” The boy yelled and he watched as they ran off in the distance yelling and shouting down the halls. 

“Stop running!” One of the kitchen staff yelled in exasperation at the retreating figures. She then faced him with a careful look. “Ah, you’re Akechi-kun, I wasn’t sure what you would like for lunch so I had packed whatever I thought you might like.” 

“Ah, sorry Higa-san. I didn’t know what to ask for. I didn’t want to be a bother.” Goro both looks and feels a tad alarmed. He didn’t want to cause anyone trouble. 

“It was no problem, Akechi-kun.” She states as she hands him the carefully crafted bento box. “Tell me what you would like and I’ll do my best to make it. Now study hard, we don’t want a single student behind.” 

“Thank you so much, Higa-san.” 

“Once more, it’s not a problem,” she states with a motherly smile. 

“Higa-san!” A girl runs up behind him suddenly causing him to move out of the way. He looks at the girl in question, long black hair and deep brown eyes. 

“Yes, Akahane-chan?” Higa asks calmly. 

“I’m not really feeling that great, I had a big meeting with my dad’s company and you know how those go. I know I just took a mental health day last week but I could really use another.” She says hopefully. 

“Of course, I understand. I’ll contact your homeroom teacher later,” Higa says with a soft smile. 

“You’re the best!” Akahane says with a returning smile. She looked worse for wear and was still wearing her pajamas, though she reminded him some of Akira, in a way. Though no one could ever live up to her. 

Akahane then turns on her heel and waves a goodbye to them both. Akechi is left a bit stunned, she didn’t seem to notice him. 

It was as if cold water had been doused on his head, in the form of...relief. 

Someone who doesn’t notice him these days, a rarity. Even when he wasn’t famous it was a rare occurrence that must be treasured. 

“If you don’t want to be late you should get your breakfast, boy.” Higa-san speaks up in a serious tone. “Now, go and eat. You’re practically skin in bones, I won’t let you leave without a meal in your belly.” Higa states as she pushes him through the door. She slides the door closed behind her and shoos him off to a table. 

Goro doesn’t know what to do with his hands in his surprise which almost leads to the bento falling. He manages to catch it but stumbles a few steps. 

“Akechi!” He hears a familiar voice yell and he sees a mop of red curls that belong to a certain Himura Konstantin. 

He could die right there from embarrassment. On the inside he was screaming well on the outside he calmly walked over to the table and set down his bento. He sat down on his legs on the comfortable pillows. Shoji screens slightly intersected some of the tables, but only slightly. 

He finally noticed the music again, for a time it had become white noise when he had been in his own world for a while. 

“Who is playing that?” Goro asks. 

“That would be Sakurrami Aika, I’ve heard she plays piano every morning to help wake up the students.” Himura explains, “She is a master at many instruments.” 

“Interesting,” Goro states as Higa walks up and sets a bowl of Miso soup in front of him, with a side of vegetables and a cup of green tea. All carefully displayed on a tray. 

“Thank you again, Higa-san.” 

“Once more, it was no problem for me, Akechi-kun.” Higa says as she gives a nod of her head as she goes back to the kitchens. 

He snaps his wooden chopsticks into two and begins to dig in carefully. The food was the first thing he feels like he has eaten in ages and a hungry growl leaves his stomach. Himura gives him a disapproving look as if to say ‘you need to eat more.’

“So the weather has certainly been good lately,” Goro states for conversation. 

“It really has, hasn’t it?” Himura asks with a cheerful smile. That seems to drop in an instant as he faces him with a serious gaze. 

“Now, tell me what happened last night.” 

“Do I have too?” Goro asks after another mouthful of soup. 

“At least explain to me why I heard you crying last night.” Himura says as he crosses his arms.

“I was crying?” Goro feels embarrassment swell up for the second time this morning. 

“Yes,” Himura nods in confirmation. 

Goro intakes a deep breath of air in and then eats another mouthful of soup. He allows his embarrassment to drift away as he thinks of something to say. “I promise that I will tell you eventually,” he decides upon. 

“You promise?” Himura asks. 

“I promise, now let me finish my breakfast.” 

“Alright, my man.” 

* * *

It was twelve when the lunch bell finally rang and he took out his bento with care and began to eat at his desk, many of the other students did the same, also taking out their bentos. 

Some of the students left the classroom to go eat somewhere else around the school, some of the students even went to practice, they all wanted to do their best. Though Goro just wished to enjoy his lunch in peace. 

He opened the bento and began to dig in with the chopsticks that came with it. The meal itself was a nice assortment of breaded chicken, vegetables, boiled eggs and onigiri. He would have to thank Higa for the meal. 

Once he finished eating he set the bento into his bag again and took out a book to read for the rest of lunch. 

Once the bell rang again to signify the end of lunch some of the students had rushed into the class not realizing they were almost late. 

Well one of the students was a couple minutes late...

“Sato! First those pornographic magazines hidden in your bento and now you’re late!” The teacher yells at the poor basketball team player. 

“Sorry! I promise it won’t happen again, Hirata-san.” He apologizes as he sits in his seat. 

“Now that our resident dork has arrived we will begin our lesson,” the teacher says in a bland yet slightly teasing tone. 

Even Goro finds himself chuckling as the rest of the students burst into laughter. Sato does not find it as funny as he blushes madly. 

* * *

Once his classes are finished he walks through the large school, eventually he finds the room he was looking for. Criminal justice,, it was an extracurricular which all of the extracurricular classes were set up in separate rooms from the rest. Much like how each of the clubs had their own rooms and each sport had their own field to play on. 

He slided the door open and then walked into the large auditorium. This particular one was used for any assemblies that were held, it has three stories worth of chairs, setup to hold fifty thousand people. That is the exact amount of students that the school can take afterall. Though the school only has a total of twenty-five thousand students this year, in the past the most they have had has been forty. 

He walks past long rows of chairs until he is standing at the front of the stage. In front of him is a man and a woman that are working on the speaker system. 

“You’re doing it all wrong!” The man complains, “The wire should go right there.”

“I’m not doing anything wrong! You’re just blind!” The woman yells back. 

A dramatic gasp leaves the man's lips as he clutches his chest. “You would me, Sara-chan.” 

Goro clears his throat to get their attention and in an instant both of them face him. “Excuse me, am I interrupting?” 

“No, not at all. Though I do have to say you are a bit early, Akechi-kun.” Sara states. 

“Well, the early bird gets the worm I suppose.” Goro states with a smile, though it feels a bit plastic.  
  


“Well, it will be about thirty minutes before we begin, if you have any questions feel free to ask.” The man states, “Oh, I am Kaito Eguchi. I will be helping out my sister today with her lesson, I usually work with the Special Investigative Unit. Though I am taking leave right now...” His voice trails off. 

“I see,” Goro has kept a pleasant smile on his face though now it has become a bit more genuine. 

“Here is today’s lesson material,” Sara hands him a packet of papers. “Find a seat and you can wait for our lesson to begin.” 

He does just that and eventually students are filing in by the hundreds, all getting their own pamphlet. The lesson lasts about an hour going into how crime scenes work and how crimes are solved. Goro listens closely to every word, afterall it was still his dream to be a detective. 

* * *

After his final class of the day is finished he manages to get out alive. 

That was a bit of an over exaggeration but trying to go through a hall with thousands of people is never easy. As he is walking up to the dormitory again he remembers the fact his bike was still at a repair shop and he finds himself running down the streets of Shibuya trying to find the bike shop again. 

Finally he seems to be able to calm himself down enough to think, now remembering how he and Himura had gotten there a day prior he calmly walked down the streets of Shibuya until he came to the bike shop. He finds himself letting out a sigh of relief. 

He opens up the door and hears the bell ring to signal his arrival. 

“Ah, you’re here again. You came to pick up your bike, correct?” The older man asks as he wipes his hands clean from some oils as he comes from the back of his shop. 

“Yes, I am sorry that I didn’t yesterday. It had slipped my mind,” Goro finds himself explaining. 

“That happens sometimes, I completely understand.” He pauses for a moment as he looks out the window of the shop and then back at Goro, “Would you perhaps be interested in a job here? I could use someone to help out, you don’t have to come in every day. You can choose which days you want to help out.” 

“I’ll have to think it over, if it isn’t so rude what is your name?” 

“Just call me Yuuto, I know it might be a bit strange to speak a strangers first name. Though I don’t have any problems with it.” 

“Yuuto-san, thank you for the offer,” Goro says respectively with a slight dip of his head. 

“Now, now. Let me just get you your bike,” Yuuto states with a wave of his hand. 

He then leads Goro to his bike and he is surprised by how new it looks. It practically shimmered in the light coming through, the bike was painted over and many parts were replaced. It was just as he had remembered it when he had first been given it. 

“Thanks, Yuuto-san. You are very good at what you do.” He compliments as he runs his fingers along the smooth metal. 

“Thank you, it is my passion.” Yuuto says with a gentle smile as he looks at him. 

“How much do I owe you?” Goro asks. 

“How about three thousand yen,” Yuuto states.

“That’s too little,” Goro says. 

“Consider the amount you have off a gift then.” 

Goro furrows his brows, how can someone be so giving? It’s something he wants to find out, how there are people much like Akira he has never noticed before. “Thank you again, Yuuto-san. I think I just might take your offer to help you out.” 

“I look forward to it,” Yuuto says with a large grin as Goro hands him the three thousand yen he owes. 

“I will see you again soon,” Goro begins to wheel his bike out the door and when pushing open the door he hears Yuuto again. 

“Take care!” He yells to Goro and Goro finds himself smiling. 

“You as well!” He yells over his shoulder back as he throws his leg over his bike. 

* * *

Once he arrives back to the dorms he chains his bike up to the bike rack and walks through the doors, he needs to go to thank Higa for the meal before he heads back to his room. Which is why he strides down the hall at a brisk pace and walks to her office. 

He knocks on the door and can hear a muffled, “Come in.” Which is exactly what he does as he slides open the door and sees the kind older woman sitting at her desk. 

“Thank you so much for the lunch, Higa-san.” He bows his head in thanks. 

“It was not a problem at all, just take care of yourself that’s all I ask.” Higa faces him with a loving smile as she looks up from her paperwork. “Now you should get off to bed, it’s nearly curfew. I don’t have a problem with it but some of the other ladies might.” 

He chuckles softly, “I will keep that in mind for the future. Have a goodnight.” He waves goodbye to her as he walks out of the door and closes it behind him. 

As he walks back to his dorms he can’t help but think of the plans that begin to form in his mind. He has to get to work, afterall Shido isn’t going to defeat himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many characters were introduced! Though quick disclaimer Sato is just going to be a silly background character. Anyway I hope you enjoyed the chapter it was a bit short for my taste but I told myself this Wednesday I would update and here it is!
> 
> Also I didn't have time to edit anything so please if you see any typos you know the drill!
> 
> Tell me your thoughts! 
> 
> Kudos!
> 
> Next chapter: Even The Devil Never Saw This Coming

**Author's Note:**

> Remember to comment, I love to read comments! Thanks for reading and hope you will enjoy next chapter! Kudos!


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